Delhi HC Grills Centre on High GST for Air Purifiers Amid Worsening Air Quality

• Delhi High Court questioned the Centre on why GST on air purifiers cannot be lowered from 18% to 5% to make them affordable, citing worsening air quality in the capital.
• The court highlighted that air purifiers, priced from ₹10,000 to ₹60,000, are beyond the common man's reach and should not be treated as luxury items.
• The Centre, represented by ASG N Venkataraman, stated the GST Council is a federal body requiring agreement from all states/UTs and physical voting.
• Petitioner advocate Kapil Madan argued air purifiers should be classified as "medical devices" and taxed at 5%, similar to other medical equipment.
• The court granted the Centre 10 days to file a detailed counter-affidavit, with the next hearing scheduled for January 9.

Why It Matters: Delhi HC pushes Centre to reduce GST on air purifiers for public health amid severe pollution.